FACT CHECK: Do 92% Of Americans Support DACA?

4:04 PM 09/15/2017David Sivak | Fact Check Editor

President Donald Trump claimed Thursday that 92 percent of Americans support the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program.

Verdict: False

Polls show that a majority – and sometimes a plurality – of Americans generally support DACA, but polls don’t suggest approval as high as 92 percent. Support for the program varies by party affiliation and the wording of survey questions.

Fact Check:

While speaking to reporters before embarking on a trip to Florida Thursday, Trump claimed that 92 percent of Americans support DACA.

“We all feel, look, 92 percent of the people agree on DACA, but what we want is very, very powerful border security,” said Trump.

According to a review of survey data by the conservative think tank the American Enterprise Institute (AEI), Americans are generally supportive of DACA. But polls don’t show the level of support described by Trump.

An Economist/YouGov poll taken before The White House’s announcement to rescind DACA last week showed that 48 percent of those surveyed wanted Trump to keep the program. The public was divided along party lines – 73 percent of Democrats wanted the program to continue, while only 43 percent of independents and 30 percent of Republicans supported its continuation.

Depending on the wording of the poll questions, surveys show different results. Some polls ask more general questions about “Dreamers,” not necessarily the DACA program started by former President Barack Obama.

A Politico/Morning Consult poll showed that 76 percent of Americans believe “Dreamers” should be allowed to remain in the country in some capacity, and 68 percent of those surveyed said that “Dreamers” should receive work permits.

Americans express varying levels of approval for the DACA program and certain legal status for “Dreamers,” but no recent polls The Daily Caller News Foundation found showed 92 percent support.

Content created by The Daily Caller News Foundation is available without charge to any eligible news publisher that can provide a large audience. For licensing opportunities of our original content, please contact [email protected].